‘Avoided junk food, ate timely meals’: CBSE class 10 toppers on staying healthy during exam prep

For Samridhi Gupta, her class 10 board exam was not exactly about scoring a very high percentage. The Apeejay Panchseel Park topper, who scored 98.4 per cent, says she treated the exam more like a “new experience”. “It was not just about studying hard but also getting to explore how to approach different topics. During the time of the preparation, I discussed topics with my friends. Some of my neighbours also helped me by sharing tips.”

Not to mention the emotional support Samridhi received from her parents. She shares, “We have a light-hearted atmosphere at home, so I never took on too much stress. In fact, I enjoyed the process of studying and tried to understand all the concepts clearly. That was my focus.

“My elder brother, who is in class 12, advised me to not take much stress and that I should study NCERT thoroughly. My parents did not tell me that I must score 95 and above. They asked me to study well and take care of my health.” Samridhi’s parents also kept her away from junk food. “My mother would cook delicacies for me,” she adds.

On the other hand, Prateek Raut, another school topper with 98.2 per cent, kept his routine quite rigorous. “The marks I secured were much expected because I had worked very hard. Before the exams, I would study till as late as 3 am. Our school completed the syllabus quite early. So, I was able to manage three phases of revisions. For term II, I also practised writing and solved sample papers. The teachers also conducted various revision classes apart from three pre-boards which helped a lot.”

Talking about his parents’ role in the journey, he adds, “My father gave me topics to write on to improve my skills and did not permit me to sleep without completing them. I didn’t even get time to eat but my mother made sure I ate my meals properly. To ensure I did not go hungry for hours, she gave me dry fruits at intervals.”

When it comes to exams, it is common for students to burn the midnight oil. Krrish Agarwal, however, does not believe in it. “I took good care of my health. I did not stay awake till late at night to study before the exam. In the morning, I only went through some important concepts. Last-minute reading, in my opinion, only leaves you more stressed; you can barely register the concepts then.”

Having scored a whopping 98 per cent, Krrish is happy that his efforts paid off. He recalls how his parents always advised him to stay calm. “There was a little pressure, of course, since this was a completely new exam pattern. But my parents only told me to give my best. They also told me to not feel stressed or overthink if I was unable to perform well in a particular paper or it would impact the other papers too,” he says.

Tips to prepare for CBSE class 10 exam

Prateek says he practised timed mock tests. “I had divided the two hours given to write an exam in such a way that I had five minutes for every two marks question. I followed this while taking mock tests. That way, I was able to complete the paper in one hour 50 minutes so that the remaining 10 minutes could be spent checking for mistakes…I have a YouTube channel where I uploaded videos during my break time. I played the keyboard too. I was also simultaneously involved in two projects at the school’s Interact Club.”

Samridhi focused on concept clarity the most. “Understanding the concepts is the most important even if it takes more time to complete your modules. I solved practice papers and shared the answers with my schoolteachers, who then gave their feedback with useful tips. For Maths, I practised every day. During my leisure hours, I went out cycling or playing badminton.”

Reiterating the importance of sound understanding of concepts, Krrish adds, “This time the questions were slightly twisted so you needed to have a grasp on the concepts to answer them. I mostly watched YouTube videos for concept clarity and doubts. For Maths and Science, I focused on NCERT and Exemplar.”

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“’Soaring high is my nature’: Our batch of class X Apeejayites have proved our school motto correct yet again. Congratulations to all our students! You have shown what hard work, dedication, and resilience can do. Keep believing in yourself. God bless!”

-Sandeep Singh Kathuria, principal, Apeejay Panchsheel Park